Cambodia

Book advices

“Be careful, because Cambodia is the most dangerous place you will ever visit. You will fall in love with it, and eventually it will break your heart.”
United States Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli

English books

Culture Shock Cambodia: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Peter North, 2011)
The much-awaited Cambodia version in the ‘Culture Shock’ series contains practical information on the defining characteristics of Cambodian social norms and society. Highly recommended for responsible travellers who want more than just a surface understanding of a unique and complex culture.

River of Time (Jon Swain, 1995)
Jon Swain’s book is a wonderful memoir of Indochina, expressing beautifully the powerful, inexplicable hold that Asia has for those who love her. Swain was one of the few Western journalists who remained in Phnom Penh as the city fell to the Khmer Rouge. His descriptions of the siege and its immediate aftermath are haunting.

Cambodia’s Curse: The Modern History of a Troubled Land (Joel Brinkley, 2011)
All anyone in the US knows about Cambodia is that they’re better off than they were under the Khmer Rouge, says journalist Joel Brinkley. But now they face a government he calls “predatory and corrupt.”

First They Killed My Father, Loung Ung (Harper Collins, 2000)
Loung Ung’s powerful account of surviving the Khmer Rouge regime, as a child is terrifying and emotionally draining, but a highly recommended read. The author’s unflinching eye for detail creates a vivid tapestry of one of history’s darkest revolutions.